The American Coatings Show and Conference

By Kerry Pianoforte, Editor | 04.06.18

The conference and show provide a forum for exchange of information related to the paint and coatings industry.

The American Coatings Show and Conference will be held April 9-12 at the Indianapolis Convention Center in Indianapolis.

Held in partnership with the American Coatings Association (ACA) and Vincentz Network  – the organizer of the European Coatings Show and Conference – the American Coatings Show and Conference (ACS/ACC) is an exhibition and technical conference designed as a sister event to the European event. The conference is a three-day event providing a forum for the foremost scientific minds in the industry, featuring scientific papers and speakers. The show is a marketplace for presentation of products and services for the production of high-grade and competitive paint and coatings.

American Coatings Conference

The American Coatings Conference (ACC) will be held in conjunction with the ACS. Beginning April 9, more than 100 technical papers and posters from paint companies, raw material suppliers, academia and government laboratories will be featured. In addition to the General Sessions, the 2018 conference will include 11 pre-conference tutorials, over 90 technical presentations, and a combined Welcome Reception and Poster Session. As in the previous conferences, four parallel tracks will be featured.

The keynote address for this year’s conference, “Innovation in the Tech Era: Fulfilling the Color Needs of End-users in a World of Fast Fashion and Revolving Apps,” will be presented by Dr. Barry Snyder, senior vice president and chief technology officer at Axalta Coatings Systems.  In his address, Snyder will discuss the challenge of reimagining coatings technology and learning from other industries that have already evolved toward servicing a millennial generation that is constantly in search of that next big trend.

Ray Fernando, Ph.D. Arthur C. Edwards Endowed Chair in Coatings Technology and Ecology at California Polytechnic State University will deliver the Mattiello Lecture Wednesday, April 11 at 8:30 a.m. Entitled, “Rheological and Colloidal Aspects of Latex-Associative Thickener Formulations: Overcoming the Remaining Challenges,” his lecture will give an overview of the current level of knowledge on the subject matter, as well as outline what remains to be done in order to fill the existing knowledge gaps.

The American Coatings Award will be given to the most outstanding technical presentation at the American Coatings Conference. Selected and sponsored by ACA and Vincentz Network, it is endowed with a $2,500 cash award. The winner of the American Coatings Award 2018 will be presented at the conference Plenary Session on April 11.



Show Highlights

• The ACS will feature a user-friendly interactive floor plan that may be used to search for specific companies, products, etc., and find booth locations on the show floor;
• Be the first to learn about new innovations in the coatings industry during live, on-stage Product Presentations;
• The Industry Buyers Lounge provides a designated area for show participants to set up important meetings;
• The 2018 American Coatings Show will feature an all-new Career Center on the show floor, where attendees may search for available positions in the industry;
• Join an enthusiastic group of runners and walkers who will gather at sunrise to jump start their day, network, and participate in this fundraising effort. Proceeds from the Fun Run are used to fund student participation in the ACC.